The present invention relates generally to thermal transfer facsimile apparatuses and, more particularly, to a compact facsimile apparatus of that type, which has an improved internal construction enabling reduction of the size of apparatus and allowing a user to easily remove a document jammed therein during transmission operation with no fear of damaging the document by opening its body cover.
With the wide spread of facsimile apparatuses in replace of conventional telephone sets, there has arisen a keen requirement for facsimile apparatuses that are more compact and can be installed at a reduced surface area in particular. Thermal transfer facsimile apparatuses are apt to have an increased size because of its complicated construction. Many facsimile apparatuses of that type are designed in such a way that a transmitting system is arranged above a recording system to reduce their installation size.
FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a typical construction of a thermal transfer facsimile apparatus wherein a transmitting system is disposed above a recording system. In FIG. 1, the recording system consists of an ink ribbon 1, ink ribbon cartridge 2xe2x80x2, a thermal head 3, a platen 5, a recording paper feeding roller 10 and a recording paper delivering roller 11. The transmitting system consists of a body cover 4xe2x80x2 also serving as a lower guide for an original document, a document feeding roller 6, a document transporting roller 7, a scanner unit 8 and an operation panel 9.
As shown in FIG. 1, a top cover of the recording system, which is a part of the body cover 4xe2x80x2 and also serves as a lower guide for document, can be flapped up to open. The document feeding roller 6 is fixed to the body and can be separated from the top cover being opened. This design concept has been adopted to meet the space and cost saving requirements.
In the thus constructed facsimile apparatus, there may happen stopping or jamming of an original document to be fed and read for transmission. In this case, the document may usually be removed by making first it free from engagement with the document feeding and delivering rollers 6 and 7 by using releasing mechanisms provided at the rollers and then by pulling the end of the document from the outside of the apparatus.
However, there may be a case that the document cannot be pulled by its end because of its shortness and therefore requires opening the body cover 4xe2x80x2. The body cover 4xe2x80x2 may also be opened by a user not being aware of existence of a document in the apparatus.
FIG. 2 shows the same facsimile apparatus (of FIG. 1) with its body cover in its open state. In this instance, the document may be damaged, being strongly pinched between the document feeding roller 6 and the body cover 4xe2x80x2.
Means for lessening stress of pinching a document (i.e., preventing the document from being sharply bent) are to provide a longer distance between the document feeding roller 6 and the front free end of the body cover 4xe2x80x2.
FIG. 3 shows an exemplified construction of a facsimile apparatus, which is featured by an increased distance between the document feeding roller and the front free end of the body cover 4xe2x80x2. As shown in FIG. 3, this design feature necessarily increases the length of the apparatus because of the need for providing a space allowing a user to replace an ink-ribbon cartridge with new one. This is incompatible with miniaturization of a facsimile apparatus.
It is the main object of the present invention is to provide a thermal transfer facsimile apparatus that is compact and, at the same time, is free from such a drawback that an original document is sharply bent or strongly pinched to be damaged when a body cover 4 is open to remove the jammed document or treat with any other trouble.
More specifically, it is an object of the present invention is to provide a thermal transfer facsimile apparatus having a unique construction in which a part of an ink-ribbon cartridge is used as a part of a guide for guiding the underside of a document and can be set at a position where a document may not be damaged when the body cover is open. This design solution can also meet the need for compactness of the facsimile apparatus.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a thermal transfer facsimile apparatus having a transmission system disposed above a recording system and a body cover movable to open for maintenance, wherein a part of an ink-ribbon cartridge is used as at least a part of a lower guide for guiding the underside of a document to be read for transmission.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a thermal transfer facsimile apparatus, wherein a part of an ink-ribbon cartridge is used as a part of a lower guide for guiding the underside of a document and extends to a position where it cannot prevent rotational movement of a recording paper-feeding mechanism attached to a body cover.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a thermal transfer facsimile apparatus wherein a lower document guide is formed by a part of a body cover and a part of an ink-ribbon cartridge and the body cover portion is disposed at the upstream side above the cartridge portion along the document transporting path in such a way that a line representing a document between the free end of the body cover in its open state and a document feeding roller secured to the body may have a gentle slope.